“The Scottish Government didn’t see this coming, because they wanted to believe their own wishful thinking about oil.

“Oil workers in Scotland need three things from Nicola Sturgeon.

“First, they need assurances that their jobs will be secured.

“Second, they need the Scottish Government to publish any assessment they have made about the long-term impact of the falling oil price for one of Scotland’s vital industries.

“And third, we need a full inquiry into why the Scottish Government was so wrong in the past, so we can get this right in the future for the sake of the tens of thousands of Scots who depend on this industry for their livelihood.

“We need to learn the lessons of the past to secure the future of one of our most important industries.”

Scottish Labour first called for an inquiry on Wednesday after oil prices fell below $60.

The party asked if civil servants were forced to sign off “wildly inaccurate” predictions in an attempt to win the referendum.

Kezia Dugdale challenged Nicola Sturgeon

Sturgeon said the Scottish Government were already working with the industry, and called on Holyrood’s parties to unite around a plea to the UK Government to ease the tax burden on the sector and support innovation.

She said: “The industry wants us to unite to call on the UK Government to accelerate action around the new investment allowance, they want us to unite to call on them to increase support for innovation, and I think we should call on the UK Government to take more action around reducing the supplementary charge.

“I think that those whose jobs are under threat right now want to see us coming together in that way, not having a party political ding-dong.”

Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander said earlier this month UK ministers would consult on several approaches to taxation.

The plans include an allowance covering the whole of the UK continental shelf to reduce the effective tax rate for investing companies.

Dugdale said the First Minister would receive support when she goes to London with her calls.

She added: “But she must be reminded of the fact that she has at least six responsibilities to the oil and gas industry here in Scotland.

“She mentioned skills and innovation, but she also has responsibility for onshore business taxes, support for finding markets, supporting infrastructure and indeed diversifying the industry.

“So the same old answers about looking to Westminster for solutions just do not stack up.”

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